deflected; deflecting; deflects
: to turn (something) aside especially from a straight course or fixed direction
armor that deflects bullets
deflecting attention from the troubled economy
deflect a question
: to turn aside : deviate
the shot deflected off the goalie's shoulder pad
Examples of deflect in a Sentence
armor that can deflect bullets
The goalie deflected the ball with his hands.
The ball deflected off the goalie's shoulder.
They are trying to deflect attention from the troubled economy.
The blame was deflected from the chairman.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Argentine forward couldn’t believe his luck when Jhon Arias’ deflected cross dropped to him in the six-yard box.
—
Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
In the sixth, down 2-1, Ward led off the bottom half with a double, on a ground ball deflected by a diving attempt by Nationals third baseman Brady House.
—Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
Democrats have dismissed the probe as a partisan effort aimed at deflecting attention from Trump-era controversies, calling the investigation politically motivated and lacking substance.
—Amanda Castro
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
Alvarez legged out an infield single that deflected off of Ross with one out.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflect
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Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
In the sixth, down 2-1, Ward led off the bottom half with a double, on a ground ball deflected by a diving attempt by Nationals third baseman Brady House.
—Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
Democrats have dismissed the probe as a partisan effort aimed at deflecting attention from Trump-era controversies, calling the investigation politically motivated and lacking substance.
—Amanda Castro
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
Alvarez legged out an infield single that deflected off of Ross with one out.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deflect
Cite this Entry
“Deflect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deflect. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deflect
verb
de·flect
di-ˈflekt 
: to turn or cause to turn aside (as from a course, direction, or position)
a bullet deflected by striking a wall
deflection
noun
-ˈflek-shən
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